Minggu, 31 Maret 2013

Diggins owns the day in record win

Diggins Sets Notre Dame Record In WinNEXT VIDEO Diggins Sets Notre Dame Record In WinDiggins Sets Notre Dame Record In WinListon leads Duke to Elite EightListon leads Duke to Elite EightOn the MarkOn the MarkReview/Preview Notre Dame Duke AdvanceReview/Preview Notre Dame Duke Advance

NORFOLK Va. There will in all likelihood come a day when a Notre Dame player bursts into the lane stops her momentum just as suddenly and hits a pull up jumper to score a record breaking basket. The crowd will applaud in recognition of someone who scored more points than any player who wore the Fighting Irish uniform.

There will be a player who breaks the career scoring record Skylar Diggins set Sunday afternoon. It's only a matter of time. It's always a matter of time.

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But will there be a player who demonstrates more mastery of a basketball court than Diggins did in No. 1 seed Notre Dame's 93 63 regional semifinal win against No. 12 seed Kansas as she so often has over the past few years

Sorry no one is going to surpass that. No one is going to play the position better.

Records are temporary. Legends are not.

Skylar owned the day Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said. I thought she was great from start to finish both ends of the floor.

Diggins finished with 27 points nine assists and three steals to advance to a regional final for the third consecutive season and reach 2 323 career points (she passed current Irish assistant coach Beth Cunningham's record of 2 322). She committed just one turnover in 30 minutes. And she was never better than before the game ceased to be a contest scoring 22 points on 9 of 16 shooting in the first half to propel the top seed from an early four point deficit to a comfortable 40 27 halftime lead.

A day earlier Diggins tried to explain the fine line any point guard treads between looking for her own shot and looking for someone else's shot. It's instinctual she explained something she feels more than thinks about. And she went out Sunday to show exactly what she was talking about. This was point guard perfection a master chef offering two different presentations on the same theme.

Diggins was already a lot of things when she made the short trip across town to begin her freshman year at Notre Dame. She was already a local legend first and foremost. Mostly that was because she was also already a champion an electric scorer who led Washington High School to a state title in a town where those mean more than gubernatorial elections. But there was at least one label she now exemplifies that didn't apply.

I wasn't a point guard when I got here Diggins said Sunday. So I kind of had to learn how to be a point guard my freshman year.

The instructions she got back then from McGraw were simple When you're open shoot it. When you're not give it up. Nuance is for upperclassmen.

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She had an immediate effect on the college game as a scorer and defender but she was still a guard who had the ball in her hands a lot more than a point guard for a team that lost to Oklahoma in the Sweet 16.

What the rest of us saw Sunday (and so often against Connecticut or in regional finals against Tennessee and Maryland) took shape in the summer after her freshman season when she spent hours working out or studying film with Notre Dame assistant coach Niele Ivey the point guard who led Notre Dame to its only national championship. They would watch clips of Diggins or the previous season's team running its various sets but Diggins also wanted to watch tape of Ivey. This was her coach yes but it was also the guard Diggins saw with her own eyes when the latter grew up in South Bend. Ivey knew exactly what McGraw wanted.

She took a lot of things really hard at the beginning not knowing not being comfortable in that position Ivey said. She'd turn the ball over she hates turning the ball over. So if she had a negative assist to turnover ratio in a game or if she had more turnovers than she wanted to she was always hard on herself. But I feel like over time I think she learned to trust what Coach McGraw was trying to instill in her as far as learning how to run a team.

Diggins was unstoppable in the first half against Kansas. The Jayhawks couldn't solve the pick and roll couldn't find her on the 3 point line and couldn't stay with her in transition. She was her team's best option. She knew as much.

The first half wasn't so kind to Kayla McBride who hit her first attempt of the game but then missed seven shots in a row. The ball bounced off her out of bounds at one point and she got knocked down without a call at another. It didn't take much effort to read the pained and frustrated look on her face and know it wasn't a half the team's second leading scorer enjoyed a whole lot.

McBride got an open look on the first possession of the second half and drained the jumper. On the next possession Diggins put the ball right back in her hands. Another jumper dropped through the net. Notre Dame is a favorite to return to the Final Four and far better than most of us figured it would be this season because players like McBride Natalie Achonwa and Jewell Loyd are on their own merits as good as any players on any team in the country. And because Diggins makes them even better. It's no coincidence the ball found its way back to McBride's hands or that she and Achonwa combined for 25 second half points many off Diggins' seven second half assists.

The scoring record could wait. If Diggins' instincts said pass she was going to pass and her teammates had best be ready. Only a mishandled backdoor alley oop cost her double digit assists.

I think she's just really confident in everyone around her McBride said. Once she sees what you can do on the court she expects that every game. She knows where you want the ball and things like that she'll come to you asking 'What plays do you want ' Stuff like that. She just knows where to find us where we're comfortable.

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As a sophomore her first season as a true point guard Diggins had 31 more assists than turnovers. Since the start of her junior season she has 203 more assists than turnovers.

How do you know when to pass and when to shoot If you're the best you just do.

There were times where I passed when I should have shot and shot when I should have passed Diggins said of her development. I still may have some of those moments just not as often. But I think the biggest thing I had to figure out was just be myself. That was the hardest thing that I had to figure out. I struggled a lot my freshman year and I think my sophomore year and toward the latter part of the season you saw me kind of break out a little bit.

Diggins will share the court Tuesday night with Duke freshman Alexis Jones. Forced to play more point guard than expected this season after Chelsea Gray's season ending injury Jones was both influential and inexperienced in a 53 45 win against Nebraska. She finished with 14 points nine rebounds and six assists including some take charge baskets when the Blue Devils needed them. She hit half her shots on a day the rest of her team shot 29 percent. But she also had seven turnovers and was running the offense that shot 33 percent overall. She played like a really special freshman.

She's having to sort out things Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie said. This was her first go around in the tournament. The Nebraska defense was a good defense they're a really good team they know how to defend. So their help side was really strong and lanes opened and closed quickly with them so she had to read a lot of things. And so we were trying to help her and help the team spread the floor and show a little patience.

It is already clear her time will come. And there's every chance her team's time will come Tuesday just as Diggins broke through in a memorable regional final against Tennessee as a sophomore to give her team its first win against coach Pat Summitt. But the Blue Devils will have to do it against a team led by a player who means much more to Notre Dame than a line in the record book. Even the top line.

Now I'm able to just play Diggins said. I think that's what Coach McGraw wanted me to do. Be myself. She didn't recruit me to be anybody else. She recruited me to be myself.

As Diggins showed yet again Sunday afternoon that she's the only one of those Notre Dame will ever have.

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McGreeveys HBO documentary shows hes moved on we havent

In a perfect world Jim McGreevey would ve come out of the closet while still in his 20s becoming an Episcopal priest who ministered to women in prison.

Judging from the poignant scenes in the HBO documentary about him Fall to Grace this kind of work appears to suit him. He s good at it.

Here s the irony though He s good at it only because he was a closeted governor who hid his secret until he couldn t any more then lost everything but his health as a consequence. Power influence respect lodging a marriage gone in an instant.

That puts him in the perfect position to relate to Hudson County Corrections inmates who have lost their freedom jobs and custody of their children because of their crimes.

One small scene in the film shows him with an inmate who bemoans the mess she s made of her life. He counters with the reminder that he had to resign as governor of the state of New Jersey in a sex scandal.

You win she concedes and they both laugh.

When he talks about second chances these women know he is living out his right in front of them.

He does it as a part time employee of Integrity House the drug treatment group. (While he received divinity training with the goal of becoming an Episcopal priest he has yet to be ordained.)

We all like a touching story of redemption broadcast on Easter weekend just to hammer home the point.

Yet it leaves New Jersey voters feeling rather like the bitter divorced wife who sees her ex treating his second wife the way she wished he d treated her.

Why didn t we the taxpayers get this ethical and humble Jim McGreevey We got stuck instead with the win at all cost years of his life s trajectory. And when we say cost we literally mean dollars and cents.

Filmmaker Andrea Pelosi (yes daughter of Nancy) says of her subject Jim is the first to admit that he waited too long to come out of the closet and did too much harm to himself and his family.

All true but she leaves out another 8.9 million victims the residents of New Jersey. We ll never know what deals he cut which cronies he helped what secrets he s still keeping.

It s one thing to be a bank robber who has a change of heart and embarks on an entirely different lifestyle. It s another to be that same bank robber heading off to a new life without revealing where all the stolen money is hidden or which pals are still robbing banks.

In this case he s a former politician who knows where the bodies are buried so to speak and has decided simply to turn the page and move on.

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He set the tone in his 2006 autobiography The Confession in which he was brutally honest about his upbringing and sexual identity yet slipped into I know nothing mode when it came to politics.

He insisted his advisers told him to stay out of the weeds so that he would remain ignorant about the seamier deals made on behalf of his candidacy. He wrote that he never did anything illegal while fundraising But in order to get the money I needed I gave myself a lot more leeway when it came to ethics.

It s seven years later when any of those transgressions can be simply waved away with the statement I have a different value system now.

The McGreevey who ministers to women inmates is passionate energetic and looks to be at peace with himself. In an odd twist of fate he can offer them a unique balm of hope.

We re happy for them. For us Not so much. Still can t shake that ex spouse feeling.

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Google declares end of YouTube in April Fools prank

Is the world's biggest video site about to go offline for a decade

(Credit Screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET)

The best April Fool's pranks are absurd but also have a kernel of believability at their core just big enough to reel people in.

While the notion that YouTube has been a 8 year long contest and Google is finally choosing a winner and shutting the site down tonight is pretty hard to swallow on its face Google did shock many people by announcing the shutdown of Google Reader recently. Perhaps Larry and Sergey are beginning to go all Howard Hughes on us

That's how the below video just put out by YouTube operates. The basic premise is that YouTube has been nothing but a contest to find the best video and the 8 year long submission period is finally closing tonight.

As YouTube's competition director Tim Liston a person who appears to be as fictional as his title tells us YouTube will go dark for a decade to give thousands of judges 10 years to go through all the uploaded videos and declare one winner which will be the only video on the site when YouTube relaunches in 2023.

What's even more hilarious in the video than the basic gag behind it is some great cameos by YouTube celebrities like Matt Harding iJustine the (now much older) kids from Charlie Bit My Finger and that Evolution of Dance guy.

I encourage everybody to watch as many videos as possible before YouTube deletes everything tonight Antoine Dodson warns.

Check the whole thing below and hope along with me that this isn't the only April Fool's gag Google is pulling. Announcing the resurrection of Google Reader could be part of the joke right Right

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Calif. officers stop Easter Bunny driving motorcycle

A man dressed up as a giant rabbit was pulled over on a Southland freeway while heading to a charity event for failing to wear a helmet. (credit California Highway Patrol) A man dressed up as a giant rabbit was pulled over on a Southland freeway while heading to a charity event for failing to wear a helmet. / CBS Los Angeles/Califronia Highway Patrol

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Happy Easter Life of Brian The Nativity Story and More Jesus Inspired Movies

UNIVERSAL/Entertainment Pictures/ZUMAPRESS.com New Line Cinema MONTY PYTHON FILMS/Entertainment Pictures/ZUMAPRESS.com

Happy Easter 'Tis the day to celebrate the King of Kings so we come bearing our pick of pics the 10 must see Jesus films.

Check out the 10 best Christmas movies

God bless us it was a holy challenge compiling this list. We could've chosen all the expected Messiah movies The Greatest Story Ever Told Jesus of Nazareth The Passion of the Christ and countless others. Instead we're mixing it up combining literal interpretations (like The Nativity Story) with those that are satirical allegorical and even musical.

Ready to lift your spirits Hallelujah Open the pearly gates and enter our gallery of Jesus Inspired movies.

Then grace us with your thoughts tell us your faves or which ones we've sacrilegiously left off the list.

See our picks the top 10 Jesus inspired movies

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In his first Easter as pope Francis calls for peace in his own style

.cnn_html_media_utility before color red content '>>' font size 9px line height 12px padding right 1px .cnnstrylccimg640 margin 0 27px 14px 0 .captionText filter alpha(opacity 100) opacity 1 .cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a .cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a visited .cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a link .captionText a .captionText a visited .captiontext a link color 004276 outline medium none .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto margin 0 auto padding right 68px width 270px > Swiss guards stand in St. Peter's Square before the Easter celebrations at the Vatican on Sunday March 31. Pope Francis led his first Easter Sunday celebrations with a Mass marking the holiest day in the Christian calendar. Francis greets the faithful prior to his first Urbi et Orbi blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after Easter Mass on Sunday. Francis arrives at St. Peter's Square on Sunday. The square is decorated with plants for Easter Sunday. An attendee looks at St. Peter's Basilica through binoculars on Sunday. Swiss guards stand in St. Peter's Square before the Easter celebrations on Sunday. Pope Francis leads the Easter celebrations on Sunday. A priest gives Holy Communion to attendees as Pope Francis delivers Easter Mass on Sunday. Francis delivers the Urbi et Orbi blessing for Rome and the world from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica after the Easter Mass. Pope Francis holds a candle during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday at St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday March 30 at the Vatican. Francis is taking part in his first Holy Week as pontiff. Pope Francis speaks during the Holy Saturday Easter vigil mass. Pope Francis presides over the Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum in Rome on Good Friday March 29. Pope Francis blesses the audience during the Way of the Cross ceremony on Good Friday. Catholics attend the Way Of the Cross procession at the Colosseum on Good Friday. Pope Francis puts his coat on during the celebration of the Way of the Cross on Good Friday March 29 at the Colosseum in Rome. In an act of reverence Pope Francis lies on floor of St. Peter's Basilica during Mass on Good Friday in the Vatican. Pope Francis kisses the foot of a prisoner at the Casal Del Marmo Youth Detention Center during the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Thursday March 28 in Rome. Pope Francis washes the feet of a young offender on March 28. Pope Francis leaves after conducting his first Chrism Mass inside the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica on Holy Thursday. Francis has been following Christian traditions leading up to Easter during his first Holy Week as pontiff. Pope Francis is crowned with his miter on Thursday. Church leaders signal to the front of the church during the Chrism Mass on Thursday. Choirboys fill a line of church benches on Thursday. Pope Francis arrives in St. Peter's Square for his first weekly general audience as pope on Wednesday March 27. Pope Francis greets a child from an open air jeep on Wednesday. Cardinals proceed to the Obelisk as Pope Francis delivers his blessing of the palms during Palm Sunday Mass on March 24. Crowds gather as Pope Francis delivers his blessing on Palm Sunday March 24. People collect olive branches ahead of Pope Francis' blessing on Palm Sunday. Nuns hold olive leaves on March 24. Pope Francis walks after blessing the palms on Palm Sunday. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

(CNN) Pope Francis celebrated his first Easter Mass with departures from the style of his predecessor even as he delivered a traditional call for peace.

While it's traditional for the pope to deliver a message of peace on Easter Sunday his direct interactions with the crowd reinforced stylistic differences between him and the austere distant approach of Benedict XVI observers said.

Barely two weeks since his election the first Latin American pope celebrated Easter Mass from an outdoor altar in the presence of tens of thousands of followers in St. Peter's Square. Dressed in white unadorned vestments consistent with his modest image Francis celebrated Easter Mass alone without his cardinals.

After Mass he made his way through St. Peter's Square in an open top popemobile free of bulletproof glass so he could stop to greet followers with handshakes embraces and kisses.

In his first Urbi et Orbi blessing from the papal balcony Francis called for an end to conflicts in the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula. He also called for peace for Syrians both those devastated by violence in the country and refugees in need of help and harmony in the troubled African nations of Mali and the Central African Republic.

Pope Francis celebrates Easter Mass Pope washes prisoners' feet Pope turns down spacious apartment Priests hope to clear Pope Francis' name

Five things to know about Pope Francis

But while the world scrutinizes his every move papal observers said it was too early to make judgments about how he intends to lead the Catholic Church.

Benedict and Francis are like Pavarotti and Domingo the style is different but the songs are the same said Raymond Arroyo news director and lead anchor of EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network.

What's clear for now Arroyo said is that Francis is intent on bringing the message of the church out to the world as he demonstrated Sunday throughout Holy Week.

When he told his priests Thursday to go look for the lost sheep he added that when they come back they better smell like those sheep Arroyo said.

He wants them amid the people in the muck of life.

The pope was elected almost three weeks ago succeeding Benedict XVI. A former Argentinian cardinal he became the first non European pope of the modern era the first from Latin America the first Jesuit and the first to assume the name Francis.

Already Francis has repeatedly veered from tradition.

Three days ago on Holy Thursday he went to a youth detention center in Rome rather than the city's chief cathedral and washed the feet of a dozen young detainees.

Among the group at the Casal del Marmo were two females and two Muslims.

The pontiff poured water over the young offenders' feet wiped them with a white towel and kissed them. In his homily given to about 50 young offenders he said everyone should help one another.

As a priest and as a bishop I should be at your service. It is a duty that comes from my heart he said.

The act of foot washing is part of the Christian tradition that mirrors Jesus' washing of his disciples' feet.

Francis' decision to include two females an Italian and an Eastern European in the ceremony disturbed some traditionalists who believe the 12 people should reflect the 12 male apostles.

The Vatican Press Office responded Friday to questions and concerns related to the pope's washing the young offenders' feet calling it a simple and spontaneous gesture of love affection forgiveness and mercy.

If anything Francis' outreach to women along with his emphasis on reinvigorating the Christian faith in parts of the world where secularism has the upper hand continues the tradition of Benedict and popes before him said author and theologian Matthew Bunson a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

That hallmark of humility and simplicity are his personal expressions as pope Bunson said. There is something wonderfully new about him but he's also maintaining the teachings of the church in wonderful continuity with the popes who've gone before him.

CNN's Jim Bittermann contributed to this report.

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Game of Thrones Season 3 Premiere Recap

Helen Sloan/HBO

Season three isn't coming it's here

Game of Thrones finally returned tonight easily taking the prize as the best gift we received in our Easter baskets this year And after a long long wait the HBO fantasy hit's premiere episode Valar Dohaeris had a lot to live up to and a lot of ground to cover. Which it did in its usual epic fashion giving us dragons new characters and nipple cutting. (So. Gross.)

So let's break down the season three premiere by character shall we

Find out what went down at the end of season two

Jon Snow The fan favorite found himself deep in enemy territory in the season opener as Ygritte (Rose Leslie) introduced him to the wildlings' leader Mance Rayder (Ciar n Hinds) who was once a member of the Night's Watch. If Mance Rayder likes you you'll live another day Ygritte tells him. And if he don't...

Thankfully we don't find out what would have happened as Mance takes a liking to Jon because he killed Qhorin and he liked his reason for joining their side The Lord Commander allowed Craster (Robert Pugh) to sacrifice his children to the White Walkers. I want to fight for the side that fights for the living Jon says and he's pretty convincing. Maybe too convincing for a spy.

Davos (Liam Cunningham) Poor poor Davos and his horrible taste in kings. Though he remains loyal to Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) who has been hiding out at Dragonstone since his epic defeat at Blackwater he finds himself a prisoner after he tries to attack Melisandre (Carice van Houten).

Game of Thrones stars tease sexual tension for season 3

Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) The new season is already off to a rough start for Tyrion who is sporting a new scar on his face thanks to Blackwater. Not only was he stripped of his title (Hand of the King) his father Tywin (Charles Dance) also harshly denied him his request of Casterly Rock. I will let myself be consumed by maggots before letting Tyrion take over Casterly Rock calling his son an ill made spiteful little creature one that killed his mother. Tywin then threatens to hang Shae (Sibel Kekilli) if he finds out Tyrion continues to see her. Way harsh dude

Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) The Lannisters' favorite prisoner is looking to get home and hearing offers from people namely Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) about doing so. Fortunately Shae is looking out for Sansa with him as we all know he can't be trusted. Also working in Sansa's favor is that Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) is too distracted by his new fiancee Margaery (Natalie Dormer) to pay her much attention anymore.

Margaery is quite clever and calculating making sure to have Joffrey see her visiting orphans in King's Landing. She's basically a medieval politician's wife and it's awesome. Also awesome Watching Cersei (Lena Headey) react drink in hand to her gentle philanthrophic and very smart future daughter in law who seems to have her brat of a son wrapped around her finger.

George R. R. Martin talks season three changes

Robb Stark (Richard Madden) The King in the North his new bride Talisa (Oona Chaplin) and his mother Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) who is still in the dog house after freeing Jaime Lanniser (Nikolaj Coster Waldau) return to Winterfell and survey the aftermath of Theon Greyjoy's (Alfie Allen) slaughter of over 200 men. Bummer times.

Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) Though she is less than thrilled with The Unsullied's intense and cruel methods (an Unsullied earns their shield by killing a newborn in front of its mother) Daenerys needs the soldiers 8 000 to be exact if she wants to take back the Iron Throne. And at least she won't mutilate them like their current owner who cut off one of their nipples to prove a point. (Ewww ) Oh and Lord Barristan Selmy the Lord Commander of Robert Baratheon's Kingsguard whom Joffrey fired last season meets up with Daenerys and pledges to join her Queensguard.

Catch up on all of Game of Thrones' most shocking moments

ONE LINERS

We have to warn them before winter's done everyone you've ever known will be dead. Commander Mormont

If I wanted to kill you do you think I'd let a wooden door stop me Cersei to Tyrion

I think what you want most of all is to be a hero. Mance Rayder

You're a clever man but you're not half as clever as you think you are Cersei tells Tyrion to which he responds Still makes me more clever than you.

See the kings without their crowns

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From Stunned to Stunning for Louisville

The scene after Louisville s Kevin Ware sustained an open fracture of his right leg late in the first half was surreal. Four Cardinals woozily held each other up at center court several appearing on the brink of fainting others crying and shaking. Coach Rick Pitino dabbed away tears. Players on the bench said a prayer.

While being treated on the floor before a cart carried him off to a hospital Ware called his teammates over but they could not hear him. Pitino had to yell.

Guys Pitino cried. He wants to say something.

Russ Smith Peyton Siva Chane Behanan Wayne Blackshear and Gorgui Dieng gathered around Ware who said through tears Just win it for me y all.

His words soothed the souls of 13 players who turned their sorrow into fuel. Louisville the region s No. 1 seed responded by dismantling the second seeded Blue Devils 85 63 in a commanding second half performance at Lucas Oil Stadium to earn a second consecutive trip to the Final Four.

At halftime Pitino told his team to win for Ware who grew up in Atlanta where the Final Four will be held. At the time of Ware s injury the Cardinals led 21 20 but it was going to take a monumental resurgence of character not to let the scene they had witnessed derail their play.

They emerged from the locker room with eight minutes before the second half began unusually early. They were ready to run run run again.

We couldn t lose this game for him Pitino said. We just couldn t.

Louisville unleashed a torrent of layups and steals blocks and dunks a basketball bludgeoning. The Cardinals (33 5) shot 59.2 percent in the second half to hand Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski his second loss in 13 appearances in the Round of 8.

We know how hard it is to beat Duke Pitino said. If you let Duke shoot and you let Duke get in transition you re going to lose. We took those two things away.

Pitino does know how hard it is to beat Duke. As the Kentucky coach in 1992 his team lost to the Blue Devils in overtime of the 1992 East Region final on Christian Laettner s buzzer beating shot perhaps the most famous play in college basketball history.

The two coaches remained close friends they even appeared in socks and underwear together in a popular commercial in 2009 for the video game Guitar Hero but faced each other only one more time since then in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas on Nov. 24.

Duke (30 6) won that game 76 71 handing Louisville its first loss but the Cardinals were without their center Dieng who had a broken left wrist and whose absence left the team without an integral defensive presence inside. Dieng sprinkled in a little offensive game Sunday scoring 14 points with 11 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Louisville s pestering defense had a discernible effect on Duke s Seth Curry who struggled finding open shots in the first half after his 29 point outburst carried the Blue Devils against Michigan State in the Round of 16.

They just come at you the whole game Curry said. They re a great backcourt and it was a tough test today.

Curry guarded by Siva and Luke Hancock stirred to life in the second half scoring Duke s first 8 points. But the success was short lived and then again the Cardinals were motivated.

At halftime the Louisville coaching staff did not know what to expect. The mood was somber. Pitino s message was short.

Don t lose this game for Kevin Ware Smith recalled.

Less than four minutes into the second half Mason Plumlee dunked in a putback to tie the score 42 42. Then Smith hit a layup and Siva hit a jumper and Behanan made a steal. Within minutes Louisville was on a 17 2 run. The shift was reminiscent of the Cardinals second half dismantling of Syracuse in the title game of the Big East tournament.

The rout was on.

I thought we had a chance there and then boom Krzyzewski said. That s what they do to teams.

Siva scored 10 of his 16 points after halftime and Smith finished with a game high 23 to earn the region s most outstanding player award. Remarkably the Cardinals were only 2 of 13 from the 3 point line. They scored 42 of their points in the lane.

Pitino thanked his son Richard the Florida International coach for suggesting to him at practice Saturday a different way to incorporate the pick and roll knowing how good Plumlee and Ryan Kelly are at defending it.

It worked to perfection Pitino said.

After the game as ladders were assembled underneath the hoops the Louisville players ran off the court. They told one another before the Big East tournament that they would not cut down nets until after the national championship game.

We just want the big one Behanan said.

At some point before the final buzzer Ware s No. 5 jersey made its way back to the Louisville bench. Behanan Ware s closest friend on the team held it aloft and then pulled it on. The crowd chanted Kevin s name. The tears welled up again.

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